Daily Yellowstone journal., 1887-01-15
A BULL FIGHT IN HAVANA.
The Painful Part Of the Performancs.
Wonderful Nerve-Ths Crowds Delight.

The Painful Part OF inc performance
wonderful Nerye-Ths Crowds Delight.
The ampitheater of Havana has been
constructed to seat $1,000 persons, and
there were close upon that number pres
emit at the premiere of the series which
was given on Sunday week. The prices
Of admission ranged from s. Oh the
shady side Of the plaza to "a on the
sunny side. A private box to hold six,
in addition, costs, according to position,
from $50 TO $50. On Mazzantini's first
entrance into the ring he was received
with a tempest Of applause, reminding
me of the explosive outburst that Is heard
when a favorite of the Derby shoots past
the winning post at EPSON. Then the
picadores and banderilleros appear, and
finally a detachment Of what the Cubans
call the monos sabios (wise monkeys).
who are really the negroes who do the
rough work and druggery for the lidia-
dores. The men all take their places, the
bull is turned in, stands at bay for a few
seconds, and, with q dazed air, usually
makes a rush for q horse on which is
mounted q picadore.
The first bull was a handsome black
animal, with prominent and powerful
horns (bien encornado), as the official
programme stated il, and in less than ten
minutes he killed six horses. All the
efforts of the espadas and the handcril-
leros TO attract his attention were fruit
less. He went straight for the horses. and
sudden slaughter wa the result. This to
me was the most painful portion Of h
performance, as the play with the bull,
the surprising dash of the men over the
arena. the gay costumes, the mad excite
ment If the audience, the wonderful
nerve of Mazzantini before he gave the
huge beast the coup de grace, were all
calculated 10 interest and excite rather
than 10 disgust. Mazzantini, 10y the way,
wore a superb costume Of green AMI gold,
heavily and exquiSitely embroidered. The
picadorcs were clad in buff and silver,
while the mental and active monoS sahIos
wore red caps and jackets. The entire
staff were practical acrobats, for occasion
ally, when the bull made a sudden charge
in their direction, the whole Of the per-
formers leapcd the palings of the inclos-
urc with a speed and nimbleness sug-
Scstiye of long ironing III a circus. More
adroit dodgers and Jumpers | certainly
never gazed upon.
There were six bulls engaged in sep
arate contests, and the molus opCr11li
wa much the same in each case. The
picadorcs use rs q lance a pole terminal
ing in a short sharp spike. Wien the
bull dasllcs at the horse the picadorc
lungcs at the animal. %wounding him
usually in the shoulder. In most eases
he pays but scant attention TO the irritat.
ing thrust. but cores the horse, happily
making short and mortal work of that
portion of the combat. The rider olsen
cages himself as best he may. and while
doing 50 a banderillero, to attract the at
tention Of the bull. filings a red cloak in
his face. This calls him of. and he makes
chase, being diverted in his course by
others of his tormentors, until he is
worked up to a high pitch Of fury. While
this goes on the thousands of spectators
shout their loudest, and when an adroit
turn or a clever coup is made by n per-
former the more enthusiastic throw their
caps into the arena, crying: Bravo.
toro!" ''Blen ,egado hombre.' And
the ampitheater is a seething, bowling
mass of humanity.
During the progress Of the fight the
banderilleros. in order to keep the bull in
an enraged cundI. ION. thrust sticks. in the
ends of which are barbed points like the
ha Of an arrow in his neck. near the
shoulders. To execute this with GER
tainty and adroitness the performer must
face the bull. and the boldncss with Mich
he takes up his position is surprising.
While n banderillo swiftly delivers the
barbs another stands close at hand ready
with his dull rel cloak 10 c",ti III, re-
treat Of his companion. IN Spain | am
told that when a hull is i~ndsInscl to
show Eight or slinLs away and fails 10 lie
aroused by these maldcning weapons
they are supplemented by fireworks,
which ignite when they touch the body
and blister lin to agony and fury. Nome
Of the animals engaged in the Plaza dc Ia
Habana required this fiendislI stimulant
10 incite them 10 action. On tlIcCu2trlry,
they entered into the spirit VI the fight
with as much eagerness and animation as
did the performers.
Senior Francisco Alvarez. who gracious
ly accorded me a seat in his box. and who
has witnessed many trays in Madrid and
Seville, assured me that he had never
seen so brisk a set Of %pugnacious bulls.
These animals. by the way, are reared in
Andalusia especially for the ring. and cost
$500 each 10 Land in Havana. Their pcdi-
greeS were given in the programme with
many details anent their breeding and
condition. The supreme moment at length
arrives. After sufficient teasing and tort
uring the enraged animal must be killed.
The espado, who has closely watched the
maneuvers Of the banderilleros, comes
Jauntily forward, bows gracefully right
and left TO the vast throng, and throws
his black embroidered cap high into the
air. He carries a short, straight sword
and a scarlet cloak. He advances toward
his antagonist and provokes his attention.
He exasperates him by Haunting the red
mantle, the BULL ''goes for him and he
leaps adroitly on one side. These move
ments are repeated several times, and
when he gets his victim well in position
the skilful matador, with fendish grace,
delivers his weapon almost 10 the hilt be-
tween the shoulder blade and the spine.
Il seems a miracle that he is not i'm
paled on the horns OF the beast, from